


Mask of Many Faces

by kugrash



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series), The Unsleeping City
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kugrash/pseuds/kugrash
Summary: Robin Kugrich, ex(?)-wife of the missing Bruce Kugrich, has found herself in a new job after getting fired from her last stint at a Wall Street law firm. Only problem is, her new boss? There just might be more to him than meets the eye.
Relationships: Bruce "Kugrash" Kugrich & Robin Kugrich, Robert Moses & Robin Kugrich
Kudos: 11





	Mask of Many Faces

The raucous laughter was nothing new, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. Straightening her shoulders, Robin turned towards the crowd and simply levelled them with an icy glare-- It did the job, and they instead turned away, muttering under their breaths about the "Frigid Bitch of Wall Street".

Again. Nothing new.

Looking at her watch, she knew it was getting near the end of her lunch break; truth was, she didn’t even really  _ take _ lunch breaks anymore-- Really she just used them to go for a walk with Marian, clear her head. Looking down at the gurgling infant in her arms, Robin smiled weakly, brushing a thumb over the girl’s forehead. Things had been undoubtedly rough over the past year, but the kids helped. The rumors, though… Those she could live without.

Returning to the office, Robin made to unlock the door, but-- She froze, blood running cold.  _ Why was it unlocked _ - _? _ She knew she had locked it, she  _ always _ locked it-- Slowly, she opened the door with one hand, hinges creaking in complaint; perhaps whoever had broken into her office had simply ransacked it and left.

Unfortunately? She wasn’t so lucky.

"Mrs. Kugrich-- Have a nice lunch?"

She felt her stomach twist immediately; everything about her new boss rubbed her the wrong way, from the slight gravel to his tone to that… Smile that seemed more unsettling than it was charming. She supposed she should be grateful, considering how she needed a job after getting fired from her last company-- But there was, for lack of a better term, simply something  _ off _ about him. She didn't want to say he scared her, but… 

"I did, Mr. Moses. If you'll excuse me--"

However, he didn't get up from her chair. No, he never even budged.

"... Have a seat, Mrs. Kugrich."

Illness seemed to sweep over her, but silently she complied, sitting across her own desk from him as he gestured so gracefully. "And please, call me Robert--" He began, lighting up a cigar which caused her to wrinkle her nose from the smell, turning Marian in her arms to cradle her face against her chest.

“Do you  _ mind- _ ?”

“Not at all.” He took a few puffs, leaned back in her chair, before stamping out the ashes on her desk.

"Now, you've got quite a colored history, don't you, Robin? Can I call you Robin?" Somehow, she suspected he'd call her whatever he wanted even if she said no. "John Sherwood referred you here, but only after you lost your previous job... What was their reasoning, anyway?"

"My... Conduct, sir."  
"Right, right, your  _ conduct _ \-- By that you mean your little… Breakdown, was it? After Bruce ran off?"

Her stomach clenched violently, but she numbly nodded in reply. She could get through this, step-by-step, by not rising to his provocations-- 

"But conduct aside, you're a skilled woman-- In fact, you've worked at a lot more places than your résumé details, haven't you? There was Johnson's Fund, but you were working as a 'Samantha Morris'-- Working for Hess & Hess, but that was as 'Julia Masters'-- Looks like then you were 'Carol Brown'--"

As he went on, though, she felt what little confidence she had quickly slipping through her fingers as though she were trying to keep her grip on running water-- She could feel her stomach sink further and further into the ground, her face paling with each name.  _ How did he  _ **_know_ ** _ \--  _

"I make it my business to know things, Mrs. Kugrich, and that includes what sort of... Activities my employees get up to. Now, I know the rumors say you've been... Going to bed with higher ups to get ahead, but we  _ both _ know that's not true. So, I've got an offer for you." He smiled, that same disquieting smile as always, “I’m sure you’re busy, what with the new baby and all, so I’ll make this brief-- I don't tell everyone just what  _ you've _ been doing with all those little aliases of yours, I don't ruin your chances of ever finding work in this district again-- I know you have two boys, they’re at school, aren’t they--?" Robin adjusted Marian again, holding her tighter in her embrace, as if that would help keep Moses away, her jaw set tight at his indirect threat towards the kids-- "And in exchange, you have to do everything I tell you. Let's put those skills of yours to some real use--"

This wasn't happening, this had to be some sick dream, a joke; but no, no, Robin knew it wasn't. He truly was blackmailing her into this. She looked from his face to his outstretched hand, and she couldn't fight the thought that this was more akin to making a deal with the devil than it was any sort of simple business agreement. She loathed the idea, but that threat against the kids-- 

She took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mrs. Kugrich." And with that, he was gone.


End file.
